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Walt Disney had long kept the book Mary Poppins in his office and was determined to one day bring it to the big screen for his daughters. The book series authored by P. L. Travers offered a series of fantastic tales, which unfortunately lacked a cohesive story. Disney tasked the Sherman brothers and screenplay writer Don DaGradi to create a cogent narrative. Robert Stevenson was tasked with directing the film and he secured a fine cast, which included Julie Andrews making her acting debut as Mary Poppins, Dick Van Dyke as Bert, David Tomlinson as George Banks, Glynis Johns as Winifred Banks, and Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber the Banks children Jane and Michael. The story tells the tale of a nanny who comes to the aid of a family in disarray. She uses her magical gifts to bring back joy into the lives of the children, but to also reconnect George with his family. The movie was both a critical and commercial success earning eight Academy Award nominations, winning five for Best Actress, Best Film Editing, Best Special Effects, Best Original Song and Best Film Score. Read more…

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) have announced the winners of the 88th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film in 2015.

In the Best Original Score category 87-year-old Italian composer Ennio Morricone won the award for his score for director Quentin Tarantino’s dark, violent western The Hateful Eight. Speaking in Italian, with his son Giovanni translating into English, Morricone accepted the award by saying:

“Buona sera, signore, buona sera. Thank you to the Academy for this prestigious acknowledgement. My tribute goes to the other nominees, and in particular to the esteemed John Williams. There isn’t a great soundtrack without a great movie that inspires it. I want to thank Quentin Tarantino for having chosen me, Harvey Weinstein, and the entire team who made this extraordinary film. I dedicate this award to my wife Maria, who is there watching me. Thank you. Grazie.”

The other nominees were Carter Burwell for Carol, Jóhann Jóhannsson for Sicario, Thomas Newman for Bridge of Spies, and John Williams for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

In the Best Original Song category, the winners were Sam Smith and James Napier for their song “Writing’s On the Wall” from James Bond film Spectre.

The other nominees were Ahmad Balshe (Belly), Stephan Moccio, Jason Daheala Quenneville and Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) for “Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey; Stefani Germanotta (Lady Gaga) and Diane Warren for “Til It Happens To You” from The Hunting Ground; Antony Hegarty and Joshua Ralph for “Manta Ray” from Racing Extinction; and David Lang for “Simple Song #3” from Youth.

By far the biggest and most successful movie in the first quarter of 2016, Deadpool is an irreverent, massively entertaining super-hero film spinning off from the X-Men universe. Ryan Reynolds stars as Wade Wilson, a former special forces op and mercenary-for-hire who is tricked into undergoing a radical treatment as a last ditch attempt to cure his terminal cancer. However, Wade is betrayed by those who promised to help him, and is instead subjected to extended periods of torture on behalf of a shadowy organization attempting to create an army of invincible slaves; the ordeal awakens latent mutant genes which give him super-human powers of re-generation, and cures his cancer, but leaves him terribly scarred. Escaping from his captors, Wilson adopts a new persona as Deadpool and sets about bringing those who tortured him to justice. Meanwhile, Deadpool’s new mutations capture the attention of the X-Men, two of whom – Colossus and Negasonic – track him down and attempt to convince him to join their group. The film is directed by Tim Miller, co-stars Ed Skrien, Morena Baccarin, and Gina Carano, and has an original score by Tom Holkenborg. Read more…

INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2015 IFMCA AWARDS; JOHN WILLIAMS WINS THREE AWARDS FOR STAR WARS

The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of winners for excellence in musical scoring in 2015, in the 2015 IFMCA Awards.

The award for Score of the Year goes to composer John Williams for his work on the massively popular and successful epic science fiction fantasy “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” from director J. J. Abrams. IFMCA member James Southall said that “the Force remains strong in John Williams and long may it continue” and called the score “glorious,” while IFMCA member Christian Clemmensen called the score “a powerfully melodic and excitingly complex piece of grand artistry from an era of greatness that only John Williams in top form could deliver.” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is also named Best Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film, and wins the Film Music Composition of the Year award for the film’s conclusive end credits suite, “The Jedi Steps and Finale”. These are the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth IFMCA Awards of Williams’s career, and it marks the third time he has been awarded Score of the Year, after “Memoirs of a Geisha” in 2005, and “War Horse” in 2011. Read more…

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) have announced the winners of the 69th British Academy Film Awards, honoring the best in film in 2015.

In the Best Original Score category composer Ennio Morricone won the award for his score for director Quentin Tarantino’s critically acclaimed brooding western The Hateful Eight. Morricone was not present at the ceremony, but sent a message to BAFTA, which was read by presenter Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje saying:

“I am sorry I cannot be there in person in London. I am conducting a concert in Dublin tonight, including the score for The Hateful Eight. My sincere thanks going to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for this honour. I want to thank Quentin Tarantino, the entire team and the Weinstein Company for having invited me to be a part of this film. Collaborations with great directors like Quentin have given me creative pleasure over the 55 years since I wrote my first film score. At 87 years old it is gratifying that my work is still deemed relevant. Thank you.”

The other nominees were Jóhann Jóhannsson for Sicario, Thomas Newman for Bridge of Spies, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto for The Revenant, and John Williams for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARD NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED; OCTOGENARIAN VETERANS JOHN WILLIAMS AND ENNIO MORRICONE LEAD THE FIELD, MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS FOR MICHAEL GIACCHINO, LATE JAMES HORNER

The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of nominees for excellence in musical scoring in 2015, for the 12th annual IFMCA Awards. The most nominated composers are industry veterans John Williams and Ennio Morricone, as well as Michael Giacchino, and the late James Horner.

83-year old John Williams receives four nominations, all for his score for the smash hit sci-fi adventure “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” directed by J. J. Abrams, which is nominated for Score of the Year, Best Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror score, and Film Music Composition of the Year. Williams also receives a personal nomination as Composer of the Year. Williams has previously been nominated for 31 IFMCA Awards, winning on 12 occasions, including Score of the Year for “Memoirs of a Geisha” in 2005 and “War Horse” in 2011. Read more…